This invention relates to a body side protective molding system for protecting the generally vertical surfaces of the sheet body of an automotive vehicle, and, more particularly, to such a system utilizing a three-piece construction which facilitates interchangeability of the ornamental portion thereof.
Body side protective moldings are well known and have been used in the art to protect the sheet metal surfaces of a vehicle body while providing a decorative or ornamental finish. One such system utilizes a unitary metallic strip, such as continuous strip of anodized aluminum and of a given cross-sectional configuration, which is mechanically fastened to the vehicle body by means of a weld stud and clip arrangement or by the conventional nut and bolt attachment. This technique has the disadvantage in that several expensive fasteners, such as weld stud and clip arrangements and the like, must be provided at regularly spaced intervals along the molding strip. Further, this technique has the overall disadvantage that a change in the molding configuration, such as to accomodate a different vehicle model, necessitates an expensive tooling change to provide the structurally different molding configuration.
Another known technique for providing protective molding strips is the adhesively applied plastic molding in which a molding body of a material such as PVC or a vinyl is applied to the vehicle by means of two-sided stick-on tape. This system has the disadvantage that the adhesive moldings are particularly sensitive to undersurface preparation which, therefore, necessitates extraordinary care during the assembling operation to avoid molding bond failure both initially and subsequently. That is, it has been found that these adhesively applied body side moldings tend to separate from the sheet metal body, particularly at the end portions of the molding, when the undersurface has not been properly prepared. Further, since these adhesively applied side moldings typically lack any means for a fixed rigid support to the vehicle body, it has been found that they develop a tendency to separate from the body as a result of the various shear forces applied to the molding during its service life. That is, even relatively low shear forces applied to the end portions of the molding strip tend to separate the molding strip from the vehicle body. Still further, where fasteners are provided at the end portions, such fasteners would be undesirably visible from the external surface thereof.
These and other disadvantages are overcome by the present invention wherein there is provided a body side protective molding system comprising a universal metallic carrier strip which is bonded to the vehicle body by means of a two-sided tape and wherein a plastic insert is received by the metallic carrier strip and provides the visible external ornamental surface of the molding system. Accordingly, a desired design change necessitates only a change in the plastic member which, owing to the nature of the material, can be readily and inexpensively provided relative to the requirements of the prior art rolled metallic moldings. Further, the metallic carrier strip can be fixedly fastened to the automotive vehicle at the end portion of the carrier strip and in such a manner that the fasteners are not visible from the external surface of the protective molding.